After leading the Angels to an 82-80 record and third-place finish in the American League West last year, Mike Scioscia had plans of building on last year's successes and taking the team to the next level in his sophomore campaign as Anaheim skipper. Well, let's just say things have not gone according to plan. Mo Vaughn was lost for the season before it even began with a biceps injury. His replacement, Wally Joyner, retired in June. The Angels' offense has seen firsthand the devastating impact of California's power crunch. And most deflating, the Mariners have essentially wrapped up the division title by July. Disneyland might be right around the corner, but Edison Field has been far from the happiest place on Earth this season.
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Angels first-half comparison
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2000
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2001
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W-L
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47-41
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42-45
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HR leader
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Anderson, 26
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Glaus, 22
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BA leader
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Erstad, .384
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Kennedy, .304
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ERA
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Schoenweis, 5.08
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Washburn, 3.52
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First-half MVP: Garrett Anderson and Troy Glaus. Anderson still does not get the ink he deserves, but he has no trouble putting the bat on the ball. The underrated left fielder, the only Angel to start every game, has hit safely in 68-of-87 games (78%) and leads the team in hits (101) and RBI (62). Meanwhile, Glaus continues his rise to super stardom. Although his batting average has dipped to .247, the All-Star leads all AL third baseman in home runs (22), slugging percentage (.519), and runs (51) and ranks second in RBI (54) and doubles (21). On the hill, Jarrod Washburn gets the nod as most valuable. The left-hander, whom Edgar Martinez lauded as one of the best in the American League, has lowered his ERA from 7.56 to 3.52 in his last 13 starts, pitching into the seventh inning 11 times and going 7-1 in that span. He has not lost since May 8 and is 6-0 with a 2.56 ERA in his last 10 games.
Biggest Surprise: Troy Percival is healthy and enjoying a strong comeback after injuries caused him to struggle over stretches the past two seasons. He's 3-1 on the season with a 0.84 ERA and has converted 21-of-22 save opportunities. In 32 innings pitched, Percival has given up only 14 hits and seven walks while striking out 34. Rookies David Eckstein and Shawn Wooten have also been impressive, as well as Adam Kennedy, who is in his second full big league season. Eckstein is second to Ichiro in average (.277), hits (85) and OBP (.355) among AL rookies; Wooten, who posted a .386 average (17-for-44) in June, is hitting .328 in 128 with seven home runs; and Kennedy leads the team in batting (.304) and on-base percentage (.361).
Biggest disappointment: Tim Salmon has looked like a fish out of water at the plate. The right fielder, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 3 with a left upper cervical and shoulder strain, is batting .206 with nine home runs and 26 RBI and leads the team in strikeouts (70). With runners in scoring position, he is hitting an abysmal .108 (7-for-65). Some scouts wonder if his skills have diminished.
Second-half goals: The team must be more balanced. Last year, the Angels were all hit and no pitch. They batted .280 as a team, smacked a club-record 236 home runs and averaged 5.3 runs per game, but the pitching staff gave up 5 runs a game. This year, the Halos are hitting .260 with 89 home runs and averaging 4.3 runs per game, yet the staff has an ERA of 3.95. Having one without the other is like swimming in quicksand: Eventually, you sink.
Minor-leaguer to watch: The Angels' farm system has a severe shortage of power-hitting prospects, and there are certainly no bona fide five-tool players, but Rob Quinlan, a first baseman at Double-A Arkansas, has shown an ability to hit for average and power. In 70 games, the converted outfielder is batting .301 with 25 doubles, nine homers and 46 RBI.
Grade:  -- At the midpoint of the season, the Angels were 38-43, so certainly, they have their work cut out if they want to vie for a wild-card spot. The only way that will happen is if Salmon finds his swing; Ramon Ortiz (7-6, 4.14) and Ismael Valdes (5-4, 4.32) string together quality starts and wins; Darin Erstad (.279, 7, 43) gets red hot; and the team improves its .237 average with runners in scoring position. Only then will the Angels be playing for anything besides pride in September.
(Scale: 1 to 4 baseballs; 1 = worst, 4 = best)
Here's what you had to say about the Angels' first half.
Eric Ortiz is an assistant editor at ESPN.com
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